David Flees to Gath

1 Samuel 21

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹ And _l the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
_m 'Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands'?" ₁

¹² Now David _n took these words ₂ to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So _o he changed his behavior before them, pretended ₃ madness in their hands, ₄ scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ "Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

1. Cross References
   1 Samuel 31:10
   Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
   
2. Cross References
   Psalms 56:1
   Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me.
   
3. Cross References
   1 Samuel 18:6 - 8
   Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
   1 Samuel 29:5
   " Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"
   
4. Cross References
   Luke 2:19
   But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
   

New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.